Simulation and virtual validation are central to modern ADAS and automated driving development. At the same time, production-grade map ecosystems increasingly rely on cloud-native, standards-based representations. Two formats commonly used in these workflows are ASAM OpenDRIVE (road network descriptions for simulation) and NDS.Live (a cloud-native map standard for navigation, ADAS and automated driving).
To help engineering teams bridge these domains more efficiently, the NDS Association has introduced a bidirectional converter between NDS.Live and ASAM OpenDRIVE.
AAI contributed to the implementation of this converter to support practical, repeatable workflows between simulation tooling and NDS.Live-based map pipelines.
Why we’re sharing this
Our day-to-day work at AAI often sits at the intersection of tooling, data pipelines, and validation workflows. Format boundaries can slow teams down—especially when map content needs to move between “simulation-first” environments and “production map” environments.
A standards-aligned conversion approach can reduce friction in areas such as:
Map-to-simulation workflows: converting NDS.Live tiles into OpenDRIVE to enable scenario work and simulation-based validation.
Simulation-to-map feedback: bringing modified OpenDRIVE content back into NDS.Live for evaluation and visualization (e.g., via NDS tools such as MapViewer).
Repeatability and automation: supporting command-line and server operation so conversions can be integrated into engineering pipelines and CI/CD setups.
What the converter focuses on
As described by the NDS Association, the converter is designed as a production-ready, bidirectional translation tool. It aims to preserve core elements such as road geometry, lane topology and connectivity, while operating in a way that respects the NDS.Live layer model (favoring localized updates).
A note on scope and compatibility
As with any format bridge, practical coverage depends on the chosen source content and the target schema. The NDS Association provides the authoritative overview of capabilities, constraints, and intended usage patterns.
Learn more
For the official announcement and additional context, please refer to the NDS Association’s post on the NDS.Live ↔ ASAM OpenDRIVE Converter.